the rules for the school health office thread mentioned kids coming to the nurse for breakfast. the us department of agriculture provides funds and a toolkit for getting a school breakfast program started. http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/breakfast/
the school breakfast program (sbp) was established by congress - first as a pilot program in 1966. i actually remember eating school breakfast in the 60's in new york city schools.
studies show students who eat school breakfast
- increase math and reading scores
- improve their speed and memory in cognitive tests
- perform better on standardized tests than those who eat breakfast at home.
universal school breakfast offers breakfast at no charge to all students, regardless of income. programs that provide breakfast in the classroom when school starts in the morning, rather than in the cafeteria before school starts, makes it easier for children to participate.
schools that provide universal breakfast in the classroom report decreases in discipline and psychological problems, fewer visits to school nurses , less tardiness; increases in student attentiveness and attendance; and generally improved learning environments.
research also shows that kids who skip breakfast rarely make up for missed nutrients later in the day
The second time a child misses breakfast, you contact a social worker? That seems a bit drastic to me....
Not on the second visit. They talk with the discipline person first and she talks with the parents & child, tries to get them to understand the importance of a good breakfast. I work with K-5th. Some of our parents are very young and very uneducated themselves. They truly do not get that little brains need food EVERY day, especially in the morning. Our bus riders go straight to the cafeteria. The bigger problem lies with our car riders and walkers, many of who do not eat at home and do not make it to school in time for breakfast. So it really is a parental problem. If parents continually neglect to either feed their kids or get them to school in time for the school to feed them, then yes, the SW needs to get involved.
LACA, BSN, LPN, RN
371 Posts
The second time a child misses breakfast, you contact a social worker? That seems a bit drastic to me....